We’re 47th !!! We’re 47th !!! We’re 47th !!!

[stellanoir]

Last edited Wed Apr 6, 2016, 08:43 AM - Edit history (1)

Saw an article the other day which rated electoral integrity among democracies. It said we ranked 47th out of the 47 democracies researched.

Lost the link so cannot provide specific attribution. This one is fairly similar : http://www.fairvote.org/american_elections_ranked_worst_among_older_democracies_here_s_why

Predictably, a couple of taunting threads were posted speculating that after last night, there would be no accusations of all too common election shenanigans since Bernie won WI.

Such spuriously speculative accusations completely belie *the* greater truth.

That is ~ we just have atrociously compromised & insecure voting devices & procedures. For a country who prides itself on its exceptionalism & proclaims to spread democracy around the world, our elections undermine our credibility tremendously.

No one who is saddened by the chronic dearth of truly representative leadership & egregious dysfunctionality in our governance can really feel 100% confident that their vote matters.

Our system is terribly flawed. From the electoral college, to super delegates, to winner-take-all statewide delegates, every vote has a likelihood of dilution if not elimination or “spoilage”.

By now, most are aware of the purposeful contrivances of gerrymanderering, long lines, & prohibitive voter ID requirements.

Fewer are aware that the technology frantically adopted after the spectacle of butterfly ballots when HAVA was passed, & our voting apparatus was awarded to private interests and usurped from the public oversight. The optical scanners vote tallying software & touchscreens were quickly proven to be highly hackable. Now that they are more than a decade old, they are also degraded.

The only new wrinkle is the curious switching of party affiliation in closed primary states. Life long Democrats have been disenfranchised.

So puerile disparagement of the sincere scrutiny of vote totals is uninformed of the extraordinarily complex systems in place, that irretrievably thwart the intent of the voter.

We all desperately need an upgrade !!!

Just sayin’

DISCLAIMER: This is not posted to discourage voting in any way shape or form. To the contrary, the greater the turnout, the greater the likelihood of the will of the majority finding expression despite all the obstruction.

Here are some other links that address our sorry state of electoral matters.

http://ivn.us/2016/03/24/united-states-worst-elections-long-standing-democracy/

http://theconversation.com/american-elections-ranked-worst-among-western-democracies-heres-why-56485

http://www.politicususa.com/2015/02/26/shameful-american-democracy-ranks-45th-electoral-integrity.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/03/29/u-s-elections-ranked-worst-among-western-democracies-heres-why/

Oh & by the way the pre election & exit poll number crunchers are reporting that more than 10% of Bernie’s lead in WI just went “poof.” (a la Kerry’s lead in the swing states in ’04 & Obama's mega landslides)

“nam myoho renge kyo”

[JackInGreen]

1. Maybe we can hit 45th??

With luck maybe 44th!

Why would we ever try for something not incremental?

[stellanoir]

2. yeah

Incrementalism is so. . .so. . .so. . .thoroughly enthralling !

One of the links on the bottom did have us rated at 45th. woo hoo !!!

[riderinthestorm]

3. K&R! Nobody should be disenfranchised. nt

[enlightenment]

4. The study is completed periodically (annually?)

by the Electoral Integrity Project. You have to drill down into the datasets to see the numbers.

https://sites.google.com/site/electoralintegrityproject4/home

edited to add: I think the US was 45th in the last study (2012?) - so we've gotten worse, not better . . . no surprise.

[stellanoir]

7. on the brighter side ~

Maybe "they" can stop hating us for our freedoms now.

phew !

[ChiciB1]

6. I'm Not Surprised, All We Can Hope For Is That People

keep PAYING ATTENTION. This is more than pathetic!

I've been talking about this for so very long as have many people who follow politics have been.

[stellanoir]

8. true confession ~

I was so unbelievably obsessed about EVM's from '03-'08, that I spoke & wrote about them, & shared info with everyone & anyone I met or of whom I could think.

Became sort of a tedious conversationalist.

May or may not have alienated a few people in the process.

Truly was on one level, a prolonged exercise in futility & frustration.

Still, people are now more aware of the sordid state of affairs.

If we really do experience one or possibly two even marginally contested conventions, hopefully people will demand a quantum leap of an upgrade.

Am confident that the cyber kids will straighten it out sooner or later though.

[ChiciB1]

9. As I Said, IT IS Now Catching On...

and I too have alienated people myself, to the point where even my family was telling me I'm obsessed! However, now I'm seeing VINDICATION from them and others and actually getting thumbs up and sort of "you've been spot on" for a long time!

Even if it's Hillary... I know in my GUT that things WILL change. I live in Florida and people are fairly PISSED at Obama because of his endorsements! Sure, I'm around more people who lean middle left, but I DO have Repub friends who ARE beginning to open their eyes.

Even some of my REPUB friends see Hillary in a more negative light and actually admit that they disagree with her "hawkish" policies. Could be Florida, but I'm seeing CHANGE for sure.

Gotta hair appointment, LOVED the video of that woman ATTACKING Rick Scott! It actually IS being reported on "the news" here!

YIPEE!